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  Charley started to eat a bit more, perking up. Seeing him eating the pancake helped her feel better.

  "We need to get ready to head out to Homeland Security in a bit." JD mentioned as he polished off his plate.

  ~You on your way here?~ she asked Perc in the open space.

  ~Leaving in a bit. Need anything?~

  ~No. I'll get dressed in our show and tell clothes in a minute. Did you happen to dream last night?~ she asked, not caring if everyone heard.

  ~Not me, but then I wore myself out last night. By the time I laid down I could barely move. Trying to bleed off stress which means working out. Besides, gives the nanobots something to do.~

  "Time to go get ready," JD commented as he headed to his room

  She forced a smile, grabbing the dishes and heading in.

  Chapter 8 - Bluffs Called

  Three months into the change that shifters brought to us, the world has seen the lowest incident of wars in almost a century. Even the always contentious Middle East is currently dealing with a religious crisis that has precluded any new offensives. But the actions of North Korea and China are creating concerns in the international community, and Australia has increased patrols in the Indian Ocean. Is a new storm brewing? ~ Op Ed Piece

  After the dishes were done, she dressed in a simple sheath dress with a matching jacket, McKenna waited for Perc to show up. JD had pulled out an old suit from when he first started on the force. What had barely fit him then hung a bit loosely now. But he looked professional. She'd even pulled out heels, though part of her wanted to show up in a kilt and combat boots. This felt like the wrong type of armor.

  [This does not make sense. Contact the authority for your global defense system and let them know of the incoming threat. The ships should be visible on any defense systems at this point.]

  ~We don't have defense systems. I think some people have seen it with telescopes, but unless a camera or telescope is looking for it, we don't have that level of technology.~

  [That seems highly unwise. How will you know when you are being attacked?]

  ~Remember, you're the first alien for the most part we've ever been aware of. As of right now, there is no global acknowledgment of any other species besides ours.~

  She swore she felt Wefor huff in disgust.

  [Fine, then contact your leaders and let them know of the incoming danger.]

  ~Our leaders don't have ways for normal people to contact them like that. Everything has to go through channels. And that's what we're trying to do.~

  [You are not a normal, you are a commander.]

  This time she knew she heard affront in Wefor's voice and resisted laughing. Everyone could hear this conversation, and she suspected more than one of them was amused.

  ~Be that as it may, they don't know that or what it means. So we try this the hard way.~

  [And if this option fails, what then? Time is precious.]

  ~Then we get creative I guess.~

  I don't know. I wish I did, but I don't know what to do if this doesn't work.

  She heard Perc's car pulling in and glanced at JD who finished filling travel mugs of coffee for them.

  "Ready?"

  "For a day in a monkey suit trying to convince people we shouldn't be locked up? Not really. But hey, it'll be a new experience." JD's voice made her laugh.

  "Sarcasm is uncalled for," she said with a grin. "Besides, I'm wearing a dress and heels."

  "Point. I admit you are suffering more than I am." He walked to the door with her, Perc had just climbed out of his car and smiled at both of them.

  McKenna thought maybe he looked at her a bit longer than needed, but she didn't mind.

  "Charley?"

  "They had school today. After missing it for a week they needed to go back and catch up. The absence won't be excused, but Anne had explained to the teachers what happened and they can make up the work. Or at least Charley can. Jessi and Jamie don't really have homework only being in first grade." McKenna half-smiled. The kids had broken down last night and told them everything that had happened.

  By the time they were done McKenna didn't know if she wanted to strangle them or hug them so tight that they could never wiggle free. A review on guns and a trip to the range when he turned twelve had been added to her list, but she didn't change the gun safe code. If someone came after them again she'd told him to run first and foremost, but she couldn't remove his ability to protect himself. It had been proven that people might try to kill them.

  She pushed away the memories and the conversation as they headed towards the capitol, stayed light. Perc drove, his car getting much better gas than JD's Hummer. They avoided the main topic until they pulled into the parking garage.

  "Am I taking the lead in this?" Her voice quiet. No other options had appeared that wouldn't make her looked like a truly crazy person.

  "Yeah. I think that's best. You have the social impact and maybe you can leverage that to something decent. I think we all know time is disappearing more quickly than we might want." Perc's voice had the same solid worry as wrapped her heart.

  "Great. McKenna in the lead." She didn't want to feel sorry for herself, and really she didn't, but she had no idea how to pull this off.

  "You're the commander. We are but your minions," JD said in an overly pompous voice.

  McKenna mock growled and batted at him, he dodged easily, but his humor helped. With a bit more confidence, she headed to figure out how to convince someone they weren't crazy.

  With the office in the Capitol Mall, they got more than a few recognized looks and nods, mostly positive, as they headed in. At the desk, security glanced up at them as they approached.

  "Good morning. How may I help you?" The security guard seemed disinterested and going through the motions.

  "Yes, I needed to speak to someone from Homeland security. I have a possible incident to report."

  "Very well. I'll let the agent on duty know there are people here to talk to him. Wait over there, please." He waved them to a waiting area and then typed into the equipment on his desk.

  A wave of relief made her sigh as they headed over. At least this way no one would overhear why she wanted to talk to the agent. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

  Sitting would require being still, and she all but vibrated with nerves, so sitting in one place would drive her crazy. They all stood, waiting and trying not to feel self-conscious. After about five minutes a man walked out of one of the elevators and made his way over to them. In his late fifties, he had that bored, world-weary look she recognized from other cops. Gruder in particular. The whole, 'I've seen everything, I don't care, leave me alone' look.

  Overweight, with dark brown hair starting to bald in the back, he didn't have the broken capillaries of a heavy drinker, but the cigarette stench that surrounded him told her he smoked a pack or more a day. He walked like ex-military though, and his skin held a dark tan that implied lots of time outside.

  "I'm informed you have a tip to pass to us? Terroristic?" His voice matched the look on his face, and she didn't know if this would be a good or a bad thing.

  McKenna stepped forward, and she felt JD and Perc move to flank her. From the slight narrowing of eyes he saw it too.

  "In a way. It's complicated. If we could go somewhere and discuss?"

  He looked at all three of them then nodded abruptly. "Follow me."

  The agent headed towards the elevator bank and stood on the other side of the security check, watching with sharp eyes as they went through. They had left their guns at home, not wanting to get into that aspect of all this. All they carried was ID and the keys to the car. Even phones had been left at home. With the new range of their telepathy, they figured it would cause less angst. Besides, if any of them were conscious they could communicate.

  The man didn't speak on the ride up the elevator, just got out when the doors opened and led them to a small conference room. The room had a pitcher, some glasses, and multiple yellow legal
pads and pens laying on the table. On the far end, a VoIP phone sat waiting, with an attached video conference system. He placed his phone face down on the table and sat at the side of the table facing the door, forcing all of them to have their backs to the door. McKenna sat though it made her uncomfortable. She pushed away the discomfort. They weren't here to make trouble, and she would hear anyone entering as long as she paid attention.

  "I'm Special Agent John Smith," he said, his voice devoid of any humor as he pulled the legal pad and a pen towards him. "Please identify yourself and what you have to report." His voice contained boredom and world-weariness. Signs of a man who didn't expect anything to come of this.

  ~Any bets as to how many reports of ‘my neighbor is a terrorist because they don't go to church on Sunday' he's had to take?~ McKenna commented wryly in the mindscape. Chuckles met her humor as she took a deep breath and went for it.

  "I'm Detective McKenna Largo. I'm a Narcotics detective for the Rossville Police department. As is my partner Detective JD Davidson." She nodded at JD as she said that. "Percival Alexander has volunteered to come with us to help explain our concerns and see if you can help us get in contact with the right people."

  Smith froze looking at them closer, then picked up his phone and tapped a few times. He looked at the screen, looked at them, then back at the screen. "Huh. So you are." He put down the pen and looked at them, the boredom dropping away from his face. "So why is the Shifter Queen and her two harem boys here bugging me?"

  McKenna choked, his comment derailing her. "My what?" Her voice might have cracked on that part.

  The agent just shrugged and looked at her. "You're popular and could get anything by lifting your pinkie. Why are you here wasting my time?"

  McKenna rubbed her face trying to get past the embarrassment and the desire to snap at the man. "I'm flattered by your belief that I'm that popular, but I'm just a cop. The fact that I was taped changing for the first time has nothing to do with why I'm here. And I'm not on social media because I'm not an idiot."

  ~Though at this rate maybe I should start a world-wide panic. Bet people would arm themselves.~ She sighed and didn't give anyone time to respond to her comment.

  "We really need to talk to the secretary of defense and possibly the president, but we'd really like to do this correctly."

  The man raised his hands, sarcasm dripping off his body language. "Please do go ahead, what does the great McKenna Largo think is so important that I should rush it to the secretary of defense and the president?"

  McKenna was ready to just walk out now. The man had already decided they were glory hounds, and she had no idea how to convince him otherwise.

  ~This is a mistake, and I don't know how to get past it. Give up and walk away?~ she asked frantically as she stared at the man who just looked at her, his face impassive.

  ~I don't know. But we have to try.~ JD's voice was serious and worried. ~I didn't think we'd get attitude until after we started to talk. This isn't good.~

  McKenna took a deep breath. "I have evidence that the epidemic of people turning into animals was not a random thing. But a planned attack against us."

  John Smith sat up a bit looking at her, some of his disdain dropping away. "Against which us? It was something that happened globally."

  "Against Earth."

  "What?"

  She spoke fast trying to explain before he lost it. "The changes were caused by alien nanobots structured to turn a percentage of humans into animals. And the ones that created these nanobots are on their way here."

  All interest and the start of taking them seriously disappeared, and the man pushed back the legal pad with an exclamation of disgust. "Really? Aliens are on their way here? What, you got caught up in the SETI crap and decided you needed to be more famous? What is it with you social media addicts? Why do you need to be in the public's eye at all times? You were fading from the public view so you thought this would be your next option?"

  McKenna quit being embarrassed at this point and got annoyed. "Yes. Because coming quietly, not carrying our weapons, not announcing who we are, and asking for an agent is totally how I'm going to get more public attention. If I wanted that, I could have just done a press conference or video to let people know. Because you know, starting a worldwide panic is exactly what I need to do. Hey, I have the governor knowing my name, why don't I call him and tell him that aliens are coming?"

  Smith just crossed his arms and sneered at her. "I have no idea why you're wasting my time. 'Cause I don't have time for prima donna freaks."

  "Argh." She stood with a violent movement. "I don't know how to make anyone believe me. I wish I could just call the secretary of state again. Maybe he'd believe me. He's already seen us doing something that should have been impossible."

  [Call him. If it will help.]

  Wefor's voice startled her, and by the sudden tensing from JD and Perc she knew they hadn't expected it either.

  ~Not like I have any idea what the number is.~

  "Oh, yes, like the secretary is just going to know who you are on a first-name basis." Smith stood, too. "Get out of here. I don't have time to waste on stupid attention-whores."

  [The number is] Wefor rattled off a long string of numbers while Smith talked. [It was dialed twice on speakerphone so the tones were played. Remembering that is not difficult.]

  ~Fuck it, we've got nothing to lose because the next option is going viral and that would be bad.~ Even as she thought that she moved over to the phone.

  "Fine. Let's see what he has to say."

  ~Please let this work.~

  "See what who has to say?" Smith demanded as his hand drifted to his waist.

  "I wouldn't," rumbled JD, as he and Perc rose also, their bulk still intimidating, even after their weight losses.

  McKenna hit the speaker phone and hit nine, she'd been there enough to know she needed that to dial out, then she dialed the long number Wefor provided her.

  ~You sure? That was more than ten digits.~

  Before Wefor could respond the phone rang and the video screen lit up. A second later the surprised face of the secretary of state filled the screen.

  "Ms. Largo?" he said, his brows furrowing. "Not that I'm complaining about being able to speak with you again, but how exactly did you get this number? And-" he glanced down then looked back up. "Why are you calling from a Homeland Security extension?"

  "Sir, I am so sorry, sir. I'll take care of this. I am so sorry," the agent babbled as he stared at the screen in horror.

  "Mr. Secretary, I apologize, but I need someone to listen to me. And you are my last-ditch effort. Please, if I may have a few minutes of your time?"

  He blinked at them and the frantic agent. "One moment." The screen blanked and McKenna hoped that didn't mean he'd hung up. But before any of them could figure out what to do, he came back on. "You have ten minutes. Please go ahead."

  Her mouth felt like she had swallowed sand, but she spoke anyhow. "Sir, this is going to be hard to believe, but people like me who can shift, can do so because of alien nanobots. The reason I knew your number is that I have an alien Artificial Intelligence that's part of me now." She ignored the sputtering of the agent who couldn't get past Perc or JD. "It memorized the sounds when the phone dialed and fed them back to me. I'm not doing this as a lark. The message that SETI is offering a reward for is a stray transmission from the ships headed this way. From the race that created these virus nanobots. I provided the translation via their Website, but it might take weeks. Sir, we have about twenty-five days before they're in orbit above our planet. If we aren't ready, the consequences will be very bad."

  As she spoke, as fast as she could without stumbling over the words, the pleasant amused expression had faded, and the sharp eyes and assessing look had snapped into place. He looked at Perc and JD.

  "You two believe this?"

  "Sir, we know it. We have proof in more ways than one. And we need to prepare," Perc spoke as JD still kept the agent.
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  "Why haven't you said anything before?"

  McKenna waved at this scenario. "Who is going to believe us? I'm telling you aliens are coming. I don't believe myself sometimes and I know they're coming. Sir, I don't want to go to other options. But they are coming, and I know what they want."

  "What would that be?" His voice still cool, but she could pick up background noise and suspected other people were listening in on this conversation as well.

  "They're coming for us, sir. The Kaylid. That is what they call us. They want us as disposable soldiers for their war. We were supposed to be trapped as crazed animals. We are their foot soldiers. Disposable and easily replaceable."

  "You do realize how hard this is to believe."

  "Yes, I do, sir."

  [Tell them these coordinates based off galactic coordinates with your sun as the center.] Wefor spoke in her mind. [That is where the armada is right now.]

  "If NASA or any of the large telescopes look at these galactic coordinates, they should see the ships." She repeated the numbers as Wefor said them.

  The Secretary looked at her for a long time then nodded. "I assume you can be reached via the information provided at the embassy?"

  "Yes," she said, her head bobbling like a one of those silly dolls.

  "Give me a few days. I'll be in touch." With that the screen went black, and McKenna sagged.

  "You, you, you idiots! How could you do that? How could you even get his number? Get out of here now before I have you arrested. I'll be filing reports with your captain and chief about this. I'll have your jobs for this. Now get out!" Smith had turned red and pointed at the door, all but yelling.

  "Thank you," McKenna managed and headed to the door feeling light-headed.

  ~I can't believe I just did that,~ she muttered in her head.

  ~That was cool~ Cass gushed. ~I could hear what you said 'cause JD and Perc kept the channel open, so it was almost like being there. Though I'm glad I took a break. Otherwise the other people in the lab would have thought I'd lost it with my giggling. You rock.~

  ~You did awesome, Kenna. I never thought about the spaceships. If they can see them, surely that will lend credence to what we said?~ JD's voice had warmth and concern in it.